Some photos of my railfanning around the East Bay 2014

Capt Ron · May 2, 2014

Bay Point, Franklin Canyon and Port Chicago. Where are these locations? The more detailed, the better. I am always looking for new spots.
I enjoy the Central Valley pics, as I am always riding through the area. I enjoy taking a break at Whiskey Slough, off of Hwy 4 about 8 mi before Stockton. I see many trains at the Escalon and Manteca locations, also. Not too much going on down here in the Sunnyvale area, but I do catch the Amtrak and ACE commuters through Alviso. Not too many freights. Looking to ride up to the Feather Rvr Canyon soon and to the Shasta area. I need to get up to the Jack London Square again, as I enjoy the atmosphere. Thanks for the great pictures from everyone.

Itsed65 · May 2, 2014

Capt Ron said:
Bay Point, Franklin Canyon and Port Chicago. Where are these locations? The more detailed, the better. I am always looking for new spots.

Here is a quick map of where the majority of the shots in this thread come from. I guess this could help anyone who is traveling through the east bay area on the I-80 or CA-4 corridors:

Capt Ron · May 3, 2014

Itsed65 said:
Here is a quick map of where the majority of the shots in this thread come from. I guess this could help anyone who is traveling through the east bay area on the I-80 or CA-4 corridors:

That's what I'm talkin about. Thank you very much. Now that I see the map, I sold my Jetski to a guy in the Bay Point area. Thanks again.

Itsed65 · May 26, 2014

Well it's been a while, but I have been to the Monterey Aquarium, various zoos, Yosemite, and an air show among other things. It's been a busy couple of months.

This grass is now what we call "golden" which is a nice euphemism for brown. A rather long container train is holding at Collier siding for an outbound train. There were two DPU's on the back end.

4836 Holding at Collier by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I caught it as it exited the tunnel and then chased it back to the siding. I orginally thought it was going to be a short one, but it just kept coming and coming…We don't see a lot of distrubuted power on this end of the system.

4836 at the Farm by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The UP however, uses it prodigiously

UP 5298 Bringing up the Rear by lennycarl08, on Flickr

More leased power. This train was crawling along so an eastbound could clear the siding so that neither would have to stop.

Z Train Leaving Franklin Canyon by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Westbound vehicle train entering Hercules. This area has crazy power lines everywhere and it's hard to get a clean shot

Monday Car Train by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Lot's of warbonnet sightings lately. It's fun to see them in the lead on the old Santa Fe main.

Still Going Strong by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Warbonnet on a fine spring day by lennycarl08, on Flickr

There is now a daily UP Z train running on the old Cal P

Afternoon Z at Eckely by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Twenty-two thousand horsepower at Eckely by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Moving down the line by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Well I missed this one as I drove under it on the way to Franklin Canyon.

BNSF 5154 West crossing Hwy 4 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

So I continued out to Bay Point, where I caught a different warbonnet in the lead.

Warbonnet heading west at Bay Point by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Loco Duo Profile by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I will end with this insanely overpowered UPS train

Mainline Speed by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Serious Power to Weight by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Trainfanne54 · Jun 1, 2014

Awesome shots Itsed65!!!

Itsed65 · Jun 1, 2014

Trainfanne54 said:
Awesome shots Itsed65!!!

Thanks!

Itsed65 · Jun 10, 2014

We had a pretty short bloom this year

Warbonnet and Flowers by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The tracks in the foreground, hidden by the tall grass is the original route of the SP San Joaquin Daylight. Now running on the BNSF, it's just the San Joaquin, but still runs between Oakland and Bakersfield 4 times a day.

Amtrak 199 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I get a lot of company out here while waiting for trains to show up

Female harrier on the hunt by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The green hills were nice while they lasted. This last weekend's temps of 100 plus in the canyon have erased all traces of it.

Thursday east UPS by lennycarl08, on Flickr

There's been a lot more traffic on this end of the Stockton Sub lately, and that means more trains holding at Collier, which is the last siding before North Bay (There is technically one more, but it is usually full of stored baretables).

Mile Post 1179 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Tennant Avenue Bridge. If it weren't for the BNSF markings under the cab and on the rear, this photo could be 30 years old.

Crossing Tennant Ave by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Lots of guest power lately

Sunday Delivery by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A colorful consist

Colorful Trio by lennycarl08, on Flickr

With an extra NS at the rear

Double DPU at Port Chicago by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Ending with a UP Z train running pat Rodeo and Hercules

UP Z along San Pablo Bay by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Through the S Turn at Hercules by lennycarl08, on Flickr

jkinzel · Jun 13, 2014

Fantastic.

Itsed65 · Jun 21, 2014

We are starting to see a lot more UP Z trains on this end of the line

SD70ACe leading through Pinole by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The "HO" version

SD70ACe Athern Look by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Really, the "Tamzooka" 150-600, while not a great "Birds in Flight" lens, has worked out very well for train shots.

UP 8678 West at Pinole by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Not a great photo, as I wasn't in position yet, but certainly interesting. 2 new Siemens ASC-64s being pulled along by 2 P42s toward Oakland. I know they make these up in Sacramento, but it seems odd to see them westbound.

New Amtrak Electrics by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Running down the Embarcadero in Jack London Square

Amtrak leaving Jack London by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A full 600mm shot, this train was still almost a mile away. There have been a lot of these ore trains lately, delivering the hoppers to the Richmond Pacific exchange track where they get taken to the port and dumped into a huge pile, for loading onto ships. This is the empty eastbound run, back to Utah.

Long train coming by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A bit closer

UP 6922 East at Point Pinole by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And going…

Disappearing by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Timing is everything! I was on my way home from Yosemite, and just happened to cross over the Stockton Intermodal yard just as this train got the green. My buddy indulged me while I pulled ahead to get a shot.

4494 West leaving Stockton Intermodal by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Last for this post, I caught a UP local running along the old Mococo Line, which runs between Martinez and Tracy, and in the glory days was the route of the San Joaquin Daylight. Lately east of Antioch it has just been used as long term storage. It still sees local use to a couple of chemical plants in Pittsburgh and Antioch. The track behind in the BNSF mainline to Stockton. These shots are rescued, as I had been shooting stars the night before and forgot to reset the camera, and had the EC dialed down 3 stops, doh! It does show how much leverage you get shooting RAW.

Branch Line Work by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Local work on Memorial Day by lennycarl08, on Flickr

papio · Jun 21, 2014

More nice shots, thanks for sharing

Itsed65 · Jun 29, 2014

Here's a case of being too close, even with a relatively wide lens. I was actually chasing on osprey with a fish down the shore. I just had time to grab my other camera, but was not in a good position to back up. The result actually came out pretty well I think

4668 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I also got the osprey. The fish, sadly, was not whole. They are very good bass anglers in the bay.

Osprey with an horderve by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A very odd couple, a Genset and a GP60M, were doing the Sunday local to the Phillps 66 carbon plant, along with pulling a string of empty tubs for storage out on the Christie siding. They usually set out a couple of full covered hoppers (of what I have no idea) and pick up the empties set out by the plant during the week. It could be vice versa, I don't have enough knowledge of what they actually do there.

Heading to the carbon plant by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Here they are at Christie, letting of a crewman at the existing string of baretables, before heading to the east end of the siding:

20140525-_MG_5651 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

At the east end, backing into the siding to set out the empties

Storing baretables by lennycarl08, on Flickr

An eastbound vehicle train passing through downtown Pinole. The bridge is a very picturesque wooden trestle that goes over Pinole creek in the city park.

6712 on the Pinole Creek trestle by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The wooden planks in the dirt are all that remain of the Santa Fe depot that used to sit on this spot. In the glory days, you could board the San Francisco Chief here.

Downtown by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The Richmond Pacific is doing good business still, with a steady stream of Utah ore delivered by the UP, as well as crude and chemical cargo.

Richmond Pacific Number 49 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Another day on the RPRR by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Working the Docks by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Speaking of crude, we are seeing a lot more of it lately. Let's hope they can keep it on the rails. This is from the same group as my last post where my camera settings were totally wacko. I did not intend to have a 1/8000 shutter speed!

Oil cans heading east by lennycarl08, on Flickr

20140526-AO6A3433 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

20140526-AO6A3434 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Bill Anderson · Jun 29, 2014

Those brown hills most definitely scream "summer" for the East Bay.

Itsed65 · Jun 29, 2014

Bill Anderson said:
Those brown hills most definitely scream "summer" for the East Bay.

You got that right! I was out there today shooting, or actually trying to, no luck, and gave up when the thermometer passed 90. I ended up opting to sit bayside in Vallejo looking for osprey. Over 10 active nests this year on the old shipyard at Mare Island. I got some birds, called it a day and headed home, but then did end up catching the local BNSF carbon plant run, but didn't get out of the air conditioned van for that one!

Bill Anderson · Jun 29, 2014

You must take a trip up here to the Puget Sound region in August to get a respite from the heat of a NoCal summer.

Itsed65 · Jul 9, 2014

Bill Anderson said:
You must take a trip up here to the Puget Sound region in August to get a respite from the heat of a NoCal summer.

If I had a ton of vacation I would! This year is small trips close to home. At least here when it gets hot, it's only for a few days, and the fog returns to blanket us in coastal coolness.

Itsed65 · Jul 9, 2014

Running west out of Port Costa

Westbound at Eckley by lennycarl08, on Flickr

UP 4668 West at Eckley by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Then running east toward Port Costa, as a westbound corridor train passes by.

Rolling out of the sun by lennycarl08, on Flickr

UP 8106 East at Eckley by lennycarl08, on Flickr

SP scarlet and gray lives on…

Rapid Discharge by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Espee Lives! by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And a smoky California Zephyr

Amtrak 22 leading the Zephyr by lennycarl08, on Flickr

For the modelers out there want a prototype for hand lettered locos…

A Canadian in California by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The future Hercules transit center including an Amtrak stop

Future Hercules Corridor Stop by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A visitor from the east

CSX in California by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Vehicle train approaching CP Hercules by lennycarl08, on Flickr

As Bill would say, an Itsed super zoom shot using the Tamron 150-600

6712 West at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And lastly for this post, a nice shot of the Capital Corridor going under the Carquinez bridges (I-80).

CDTX 2014 under I-80 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Itsed65 · Jul 18, 2014

Caught the Sunday servicing light power move, heading back to Ozal yard in Martinez, which was outpacing the Captial Corridor

Light power ahead of the Captial Corridor by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Geeps running light to Ozal by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Classic EMD by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Hot muggy day and dull sky, makes a better monochrome shot

Cab Control by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Seeing lots of coal moving out through the Port of Richmond via the Richmond Pacific interchange with UP

Fossil Fuels by lennycarl08, on Flickr

8269 Crossing Rodeo creek by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Unit Train by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Face full of SD70 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A big shove by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Idling on Wright Ave by lennycarl08, on Flickr

RPRR 68 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And lastly for this post, a Capital Corridor heading along the bay with the Rodeo Phillips 66 refinery in the background

Passing Conoco Phillips Refinery at Rodeo by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Bill Anderson · Jul 18, 2014

Itsed65 said:
Hot muggy day and dull sky, makes a better monochrome shot

Do you have a circular polarizing filter? I have been using mine during this past week of sunny days to add some color to the hazy, dull sky.

Itsed65 · Jul 19, 2014

I do indeed have one, but not for the size of the Tamron. Since it was actually an overcast day it wouldn't have done much good anyway. I use mine all the time when shooting landscapes on the 24-105.